


Climate Control

by MagsyB



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 15:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9278393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagsyB/pseuds/MagsyB
Summary: Based off of a prompt on tumblr:4. Fighting over the thermostat settings.





	

__

 

It had only been 5 days and already she felt like she was going stir-crazy. More than that, she felt that no matter what little thing she did, she was constantly in his way. This wasn’t her home. It was his. And he was driving her insane.

 

He had made such a grand and dramatic deal about her having to stay at Baker St for her own safety until this whole Moriarty business was dealt with that she felt boxed in, and had no choice but to acquiesce. And now, despite fearing for her life, she didn’t know what was worse.

 

Living in fear, or this…confinement.

 

But she had always trusted Sherlock, and she knew that no matter how crazy his scheme, or how hard things got. She just had to find a way to deal. One step at a time.

 

It was all about control. And though she felt at a lose of her own, she just needed to find control of one thing.

 

It just so happened, that on that 5th night as she lay in bed burning up in the August heat, that she decided. It was small, but it was something she could control. And it would make her feel more at home. More at ease with this whole situation. So, with a stalwart purpose, she kicked off the remaining covers from her feet, and marched out of the room Mrs Hudson had made up for her. She made her way down the stairs and to the thermostat that rested on the wall in the hallway. Lowering it by a few degrees, she smiled to herself, before slowly making her way back up to her room.

__

 

The next morning when Molly woke up, she could practically feel the sweat radiating off of her. Sighing, she gathered herself up before making her way back down the stairwell, making a stop in the hallway by the thermostat before entering into the kitchen.

 

Balling her fists and closing her eyes, Molly counted to ten to calm herself. The git had changed it back.

 

It was such a simple change, why couldn’t he just…Molly breathed deep before reaching out and changing it back. If he insisted she stay here, then she was going to be at least be comfortable in some way, damn it. Nodding to herself, she smiled softly to herself before making her way to the kitchen to start her day.

 

__

 

26 days of this quietly waged temperature war, and Molly felt as if she were going to blow. The first day, Sherlock had just sat and silently squinted at her as he tried to deduce what had made her smile. And, of course, it being Sherlock, instead of simply asking, he came to his own conclusions. Only for once, he left them to himself.

 

But it didn’t stop at just that morning. It was 26 days of non-stop tension. The deductions, the awkward silences, the sly glances as if they both knew what the other was up to, and it was all bubbling over into a boiling point for Molly.

 

Coming up the stairs, after a long day at work Molly quickly glanced at the thermostat as she made her way up to her room, only to stop dead when she noticed that once again, he had changed the settings back.

 

Molly bit her lip and closed her eyes at the sudden sting she felt building behind her lids. This wasn’t working. This constant push and pull. It was becoming fruitless. It was obvious now, and she just didn’t want to admit it before.

 

Quickly making her way back up to her room, she packed what she could find in a rush and made her way back down the stairs. As much as she wanted to stay, it was too glaringly obvious how unwelcome she truly was; and it simply hurt too much. But it was clear as day, it had stared at her in two simple climate controlled numbers for 26 days. She was more than just unwelcome, she was a nuisance.

 

Stopping at the landing to the door to Sherlock’s sitting room Molly paused, tipping her head back, trying to control the emotions raging through her. She knew despite how he may feel, she couldn’t help still caring for him. Still trusting him. So, if he had said her life was in danger, then she would just have to find another way to keep herself safe. Taking a deep breath she stepped up to the door looking in to see Sherlock, lost in thought, staring at his case-wall.

 

“Are you done with your tantrum, I’m trying to think,” Sherlock inquired, not bothering to face her.

 

“No…Right, I was just..” Molly started softly taking a step inside, hoping to tell him, but suddenly remembering how unwanted she was by his avoidance of her now.

 

“Sorry, nevermind, I’ll just… leave you to it then,” she replied instead, nodding in his direction, walking back out the door, and shouldering her bag before making her way out of Baker St.

 

Just as she closed the door to 221B, she turned to see John stride up to the steps blocking her way.

 

“He finish the case and not tell me?” he asked, gesturing to her bag.

 

“No, I just… “ Molly started, not quite knowing what she was going to say.

 

“Ah, Sherlock… being… well Sherlock?” John asked.

 

Molly gave a sad chuckle as she clutched her bag tighter. “No… and yes.. I just.. I need to get away… I mean, not away.. just I’m in the way,” she stuttered out, not comfortable talking about how unwanted she was outloud.

 

“Did he say that?” John questioned, his ire hiking up on her behave.

 

“No, I just.. “ Molly continued on sadly. “It’s just… well, I’m sure he doesn’t mean it,” she continued quietly, “but sometimes you just know.” she shrugged, hiking the bag further up her shoulder.

 

John drew his brows in question, making Molly shrug again, sad smile playing on her lips.

 

“I don’t understand.” John said.

 

“I’ll.. I’ll be staying at the Hilton if you need anything.” she stated instead, making her way down the stairs and past him.

 

“Molly,” John called out as she got a few steps away.

 

“Hm?” she acknowledged turning slightly to face him.

 

“Are you okay?” he asked still confused but concerned for his friend.

 

“Aren’t I always?” she answered back. The smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she spent 2 years lying for Sherlock before. It wasn’t like she mattered anyways. It didn’t matter what he said, because despite his lovely words, his actions spoke for themselves. Turning around once more, Molly walked away to find a room at the Hilton.

 

–

 

John thundered up the stairs ready to lecture Sherlock on his treatment of Molly. Despite his lack of actually knowing why she left, he felt obligated to defend her somehow. Plus 99% of the time when Sherlock was involved, it was typically Sherlock’s fault in some way or form. However, as he reached halfway up the stairs he slowed as he saw Sherlock standing completely frozen in the hallway, staring blankly at the thermostat, his hand hovering over the temperature settings.

 

“Sherlock?” John questioned, wondering what the hell was going on.

 

“She didn’t change it.” Sherlock stated softly, not moving from his spot.

 

John made his way up the rest of the stairs, completely baffled by his friends statement. “She didn’t change what?” John asked, already guessing the answer, but figuring his friend simply needed to talk.

 

“The temperature. She always changes it,” he said, placing his hands on the controls but not changing the settings.

 

“And I’m guessing by you’re presence in the hall, that you sneak behind her, like an arse, and change it back when she’s not looking.” John presumed.

 

“I… was comfortable.” Sherlock admitted, stepping back to sit on the stairs that had led to her room.

 

“I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to give me more than that.”

 

Sherlock dropped his head as he ran his hands through his hair. “She made it…ugh… I’m not doing this.” he said suddenly standing back up to go back to his sitting room.

 

“So, let me get this straight, Molly’s putting her life at risk because of a temperature setting you felt comfortable with?” John asked to Sherlock’s back, outraged at his nonchalance at the whole situation.

 

Sherlock turned back suddenly, striding over to John, “What do you mean she’s…” Sherlock started before suddenly stopping his eyes widening in realization.

 

“Where?” he asked, darting over to the coat rack hastily putting on his belstaff and scarf.

 

“The Hilton,” John said, shaking his head, “at least that’s what she told me. Sherlock, what in the world is going on?”

 

“A misunderstanding!” Sherlock shouted on his way down the stairs and out of Baker St, presumable to find Molly and clear all this up. At least, John hoped.

 

–

 

The knock on the door, shouldn’t have startled Molly, considering she had been expecting it, but she hadn’t expected it to take him this long.

 

Walking over to the door, Molly opened it to a rather harried and angry looking Sherlock.

 

“You lied,” he said, trying to step past her into the room.

 

Molly tightened her grip on the handle blocking his path. “No,” she said simply, not letting him by her.

 

His body stopped brushing up against her arm as he glared down at her. “No?” he growled, danger coloring his voice.

 

“If you have a problem with that, then..then.. ” Molly started glaring back, going on her toes, his anger spurring on her own.

 

“Then what? You’ll run away?” He mocked down at her his body pushing closer into hers, while she refused to budge.

 

“I didn’t run, you git!”she practically yelled, pulling her hand away from the handle to push against his chest, only to have him trap her wrists in his hands.

 

“Then why?” he asked, backing her into the room, and slamming the door shut with his foot.

 

“Why what?”

 

“Why lie?”

 

“Why did you change the thermostat?” Molly asked back, having no idea why. Why she would want to go down a road that would only bring her heartache. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” she asked, losing all of her anger, and just sadness taking it’s place.

 

Sherlock dropped her hands as if he were burnt and backed up a pace, not quite knowing how to answer her. It was never his intention to come here to start a fight in the first place. But he always tended to hurt her, even when he didn’t mean to.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, looking at a point over her shoulder. “I.. don’t deal with change well.” Sherlock said rather uncomfortable, making Molly scoff.

 

“No, I mean change… I am not good with emotional change.” he tried again, looking down into Molly’s eyes hoping she would grasp what he was saying.

 

“Sherlock,” Molly started, “I’m your friend, of course my being in danger is going..”

 

“That’s not what I’m trying to say.” Sherlock opined, closing his eyes for a moment to try and gather all of his thoughts as his emotions seemed to have his mind in rambles.

 

“You made it comfortable.” he said.

 

“You’re not really making any of this any clearer here for me.”

 

“You being at Baker St. You made it comfortable. And, then you changed the temperature, and things just felt… right.”

 

“Okay? And that was bad, because?” Molly asked.

 

“Because me being comfortable, didn’t make you safe.” he said.

 

“Sherlock, I want to understand, I do, I just…”

 

“If I didn’t solve the Moriarty problem, you’re in danger, but you were still with me, in Baker St. And, if I did, then you’d be safe, but you would also be gone. I.. didn’t want to get comfortable.” he said stepping closer to her, to run his fingers on the edge of her hairline.

 

“So, I have been a distraction?” Molly smirked up at Sherlock, as his palm rested along her cheek.

 

“Oh, yes,” he said, as his head inched lower to hers.

 

“Sherlock,” Molly whispered softly against his lips, their mouths hovering over each other’s.

 

“Molly, please, don’t think that I don’t… I have thought of almost nothing but kissing you since you started staying at Baker St, but I.. “

 

Molly closed her eyes, as she felt his words and breath brush against her lips, wanting nothing more than to taste more than the smallest graze that they were allowing, but deep inside she already knew.

 

“I know,” she said instead, hugging Sherlock close to her, to let him know that she really did. And she did understand. She could wait.

 

“Just, until this is over,” he said, “Please.”

 

Molly nodded against his shoulder. “I’m holding you to that.” she said, clutching him tighter.

 

“Of course,” he replied, holding her just as tight, before they both let go and stepped back a pace.

 

“Now go, and catch me a bad guy,” she said, practically shoving Sherlock out the door.

 

When Sherlock reached the door, he turned around once more, “When this is all over, you will return to Baker St, right?” he asked, suddenly looking like a small boy.

 

Molly couldn’t help it, reaching up, she grabbed his lapels pulling him forward to kiss him soundly before pushing him back and out the door.

 

Sherlock had no idea how long he ended up standing outside of Molly’s closed door simply staring at nothing as his mind whirled about trying to buffer and process the kiss Molly had just given him, but when he finally did come out of it, he found he had a new conviction and drive that he didn’t have before to finish this whole Moriarty business once and for all.


End file.
